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Independent mayoral candidate Balen Shah is leading by 18, 430 votes in Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

He secured 45, 613 votes as of 10:30 am today.

His closest contender Nepali Congress candidate Srijana Singh is trailing with 27, 183 votes.

Similarly, Keshav Sthapit of CPN-UML received 26, 309 votes.

In the deputy mayoral race UML's Sunita Dangol is leading by a huge margin. Rameshwar Shrestha of CPN (Unified Socialist) is lagging far behind.

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), the state-owned monopoly, hiked the prices of petroleum products yet again on Sunday.

The NOC has decided to increase Rs 10 per litre each in petrol, diesel and kerosene.

As per the new revised rate, the petrol will now cost Rs 180 per litre and diesel and kerosene will cost Rs 163 per litre.

The NOC has increased the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) by Rs 200 per cylinder.

 Now, the cooking gas will cost Rs 1, 800 per cylinder.

The decision will come into effect from today midnight.

The NOC had increased the prices of petroleum products by Rs 10 per litre a week ago.

A person died and another was injured when a fire broke out due to electric short circuit while removing a hoarding board of the Shikhar Insurance Company in Chitwan.

The deceased has been identified as Shakuntala paudel (36) of Kataharchok, Bharatpur-10. She was a staffer at the branch office of Shikhar Insurance Company.

According to Narahari Adhikari, Information Officer at the District Police Office, Chitwan, the incident occurred while removing the flex board outside the office at around 1 pm.

Tarun Thapa (22) of Bharatpur-7 was injured in the incident. He is receiving treatment at the Chitwan Medical College.

The fire was taken under control with the help of locals, Nepal Police and Nepal Army personnel backed by a fire engine.

Police said that they are looking into the incident,

A man and his son were murdered in Arna Rural Municipality of Siraha district.

Chandeshwor Pal (60) and his 19-year-old son Santa Kumar were murdered by using a sharp weapon while asleep at Mahanaur in Arna Rural Municipality-1 of the district.

Santa Kumar was getting married on May 25.

Locals said that the duo were murdered after they had gone to bed after finishing wedding singing and dancing programs at midnight in the village.

The villagers said that the songs were playing till midnight and they were found dead at around 3 am.

DSP Subash Budhathoki of the District Police Office, Siraha said that police reached the incident site soon after they got the information.

Police said that they are looking into the case.

CPN-UML candidates have won both mayor and deputy mayor posts in Dakneshwori Municipality, Saptari.

Ram Lakhan Mahala has been elected as the mayor of the municipality by securing 5, 854 votes. His closest rival Narayan Yadav of Nepali Congress garnered 5, 396 votes.

Similarly, Mira Kumari Yadav has been elected as the deputy mayor. 

She received 6, 197 votes and her close competitor Indu Devi Yadav of Janata Samajbadi Party got 5, 209 votes.

Independent candidate Harka Raj Rai has been elected as the mayor of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City.

He was elected the mayor by defeating Nepali Congress candidate Kishor Rai by a huge margin. He has won by more than 5, 000 votes.

The results, however, are yet to be announced.

Similarly, CPN (Maoist Centre) candidate Indra Bikram Begha has been elected as the deputy mayor.

He was elected deputy mayor by defeating Isbo Limbu of CPN-UML.

Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights and US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya called on Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand on Sunday.

During the meeting held at the Home Ministry, the duo discussed mutual assistance and bilateral relations between the two countries.

On the occasion, Home Minister Khand thanked the United States for its assistance in the post-earthquake reconstruction and in the global fight against Covid-19 including Nepal.

He told Zeya that Nepal is committed to the security sensitivities of its neighbors India and China.

Similarly, he thanked the United States on behalf of Nepal for helping in resettling Bhutanese refugees in third countries.

He requested Under Secretary Zeya to visit Lumbini.

Meanwhile, Zeya thanked the government of Nepal for taking initiatives to develop the country and to alleviate poverty by endorsing the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) from the Parliament.

India on Saturday supplied another 40,000 MT consignment of diesel to Sri Lanka to help ease the fuel shortage in the country, which is reeling under a severe economic and energy crisis.

The High Commission of India in Sri Lanka took to its Twitter handle to make the announcement of the consignment.
"Pumping diesel into #SriLanka!!! Another 40,000 MT consignment of diesel under the credit line from #India reached #Colombo today," tweeted India High Commission in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, a consignment carrying rice, milk powder and medicines worth more than LKR 2 billion from India is scheduled to reach Colombo on Sunday. The consignment was flagged off from Chennai by Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin on Wednesday.

"The Hon'ble Chief Minister @mkstalin flagged off 9000 metric tons of rice, 200 metric tons of spirit powder and 24 metric tons of essential medicines in a cargo ship to Sri Lanka to help the people of Sri Lanka," Chief Minister Office tweeted.

Indian High Commission also tweeted: "People of #India, standing by their bretheren in #SriLanka. Rice, milk powder and medicines worth more than SLR 2billion is scheduled to reach #Colombo on Sunday. The consignment was flagged off from #Chennai by CM of Tamil Nadu @mkstalin on Wednesday."

Moreover, India has promised to provide over USD 3 billion to the debt-ridden island country in loans, credit swaps, and also credit lines since the beginning of the year. India has also expressed its desire to work with the new Sri Lankan government.

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts affecting a large number of the people, resulting in massive protests over the government's handling of the situation.
India is becoming a stronger and more mutually beneficial partner to Sri Lanka. Apart from assistance during the pandemic and fertilizer chaos, in which India delivered nano fertilizer to save Sri Lankan farmers, now New Delhi has pledged nearly USD 3 billion to cash-strapped Colombo through currency swaps, credit lines for essential goods and repayment of loans since January 2022 to help Sri Lanka amid one of the worst economic crises in history. (ANI)